There are 10,611 positive cases of COVID-19 in Wisconsin as of Tuesday, according to the state Department of Health Services. That’s an increase of 193 cases from the day before.
According to health officials, 418 people in Wisconsin have died from COVID-19 as of Tuesday afternoon.
DHS reported 112,748 negative tests for the new coronavirus, an increase of 4,715 from Monday to Tuesday.
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According to DHS, 1,877 people have been hospitalized because of the virus. That means at least 18 percent of people who have tested positive for the new coronavirus in the state have been hospitalized. DHS officials have said they don’t know the hospitalization history of 2,513 cases, or 24 percent.
A key metric outlined in Gov. Tony Evers’ “Badger Bounce Back” plan for reopening the state is for the percentage of positive cases to be in decline over a 14-day period. According to state data, that metric has been met.
Last week, DHS released an additional list of metrics the agency will use to “determine when we can begin to allow people to interact and, more importantly, get Wisconsinites back to work.”
The metrics include “gating criteria” for reported symptoms, cases, hospital capacity and infection rates among health care workers. Symptoms criteria are met when influenza-like symptoms and COVID-19-like cases show a downward trend during a 14-day period. As of Tuesday afternoon, the criteria for COVID-19-like cases had been met.
The criteria for hospitals will be met if 95 percent of institutions affirm they have the ability to test all symptomatic clinical staff and can treat all patients without crisis care, and, according to DHS, that criteria has been met.
A downward trend of COVID-19 cases among health care workers is the final metric listed by DHS.
On Monday, Evers announced looser restrictions on more businesses. Standalone or strip-mall-based retail stores can now offer in-person shopping for up to five customers at a time with required social distancing practices and suggested safety guidelines. Drive-in theaters can also operate with some restrictions.
With increases in the state’s testing capacity, health officials loosened restrictions on who can get tested, subject to the availability of testing supplies. An online map shows where people can be tested, provides contact information, hours of operation and guidance on how to schedule an appointment.
Evers said last week the goal is to make Wisconsin one of the top states in testing per capita. Evers said Wisconsin is preparing to provide 85,000 COVID-19 tests per week.
This will be done by working with the Wisconsin National Guard to deploy teams to employer outbreak sites; providing free testing and diagnostics to Wisconsin’s 373 nursing homes; increasing the number of free drive-thru testing sites; and providing more supplies to health care systems so people who want a test can have one, Evers said.
On Monday, thousands of people waited in line at three free COVID-19 testing sites in Milwaukee and Madison.
As of Tuesday afternoon, Wisconsin has 51 labs performing COVID-19 tests, up from eight labs in March. According to DHS, they’re able to process 13,795 samples per day — more than the state’s goal of completing about 12,000 tests per day.
There are confirmed cases in 68 of Wisconsin’s 72 counties.
The following counties have no confirmed cases as of Tuesday afternoon: Burnett, Langlade, Pepin and Taylor.
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